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Mexico 

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via. Th ree Gateway s 




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FroiriB ORDER 
to CAPITAL 

A Brief^ Descnpiion 
of ike many inieresiin^ 
places io be seen en route 
io Mexico City via ilie 
Lare<io, ilie Ea^le Pass 
and ike El Paso Gateways 



Issued. Ly tKe 

GENERA.I. PASSENGER DKPARTMKNT 
NATIONAL. RAILAVAYS OF MKXICO 



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-" Each Plaza with Its Band-stand " 

EXICO! Have you been there? Do you 
know that picturesque repubHc? If not, 
then picture to yourself a country of sun- 
shine, roses and romance — a land where the 
quaintness that once attracted the traveler 
to foreign lands still exists; w^here, as yet, the feet of 
the tourists have not trodden down customs and cere- 
monies that hark back to the forgotten centuries ; where, 
at the present time, progress has only added modern 
comforts w^ithout destroying the charm of an age that is 
now past in both the United States and Europe. It is 
a land of contrast. From the w^indow of a tw^entieth 
century Pullman you gaze on villages that existed when 
Cortez and his band of "conquistadores ' landed at 
Veracruz; at churches rich w^ith the decorations and 
paintings gathered during the time of the Inquisition; 
at pyramids and ruins that antedate even the records 
of most ancient history. On the street a group of 







Indians trot past, chattering in the tongue of the ancient 
Aztec, while in front of you "whiz touring cars of the 
latest models. 

This will, perhaps, give you an idea of the old and 
new^ Mexico that, side by side, aw^aits to greet you; but 
the beauty of its lakes and its mountains, the sunsets 
on snow-crowned volcanoes, higher than the famed 
Alps, its gardens of gorgeous blooms, must be seen to 
be appreciated. 

The camera that took the pictures that follow^ w^as 
a good servant, but it w^as only a camera, and to the 
eye alone is revealed the effulgent color-w^ork that 
Nature, the master artist, has w^rought in Mexico. 

And, w^hen you stop to consider the accessibility of 
this great republic; w^hen you realize that a country so 
foreign may be reached w^ithout loss of time or danger 
of seasickness from an ocean trip; w^hen you realize 
that Mexico is not a resort like Florida, but a nation — 
nor has it a rainy winter like California; ^vhen you 
realize that the City of Mexico is nearer to Chicago than 
is Los Angeles, and that through Pullmans leave St. Louis 
daily, carrying passengers to the City of Mexico w^ithout 
change of cars; w^hen these facts are before you, and 
you realize the convenience and 
pleasure to be derived from 
such a trip, you will ask 
yourself 



•'WHY NOT 

GO TO 
MEXICO?" 




The Cargrador 




One of the Connecting Links Between ttie " bisur Kepublics " 



NO matter whether you enter the Repubhc of 
Mexico via the Laredo, the Eagle Pass or the 
El Paso gateway, the American tourist bids fare- 
well to his native flag and native land while crossing 
the Rio Grande. The Mexican customs officials will 
inspect your trunk and hand baggage at either Nuevo 
Laredo, Ciudad Porfirio Diaz or Ciudad Juarez. This 
inspection is a very simple matter, and will take only a 
few minutes of your time. You should remain in the 
car until the inspectors have examined the hand bag- 
gage, then go to the baggage-room and unlock your 
trunk, in order that its contents may also be inspected. 
You may then exchange your United States money for 
Mexican currency, receiving two Mexican dollars for 
each American dollar. 

A "passenger assistant" boards each train at Laredo, 
Eagle Pass and El Paso, and will assist the passenger in 
every way possible during the inspection of baggage. 




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Remember that the baggage must be rechecked after 
it has passed through the customs inspection. 

Your first impression of Mexico will be sand — sand, 
cactus and maguey. The maguey, a specie of century 
plant, from which the Mexican extracts a sw^eet honey 
w^ater (Agua Miel), which is delicious and a non- 
intoxicant, but w^hich, once it is allowed to ferment, 
becomes pulque, the national drink, and intoxicating. 

Should you enter Mexico City via the Nuevo Laredo 
gateway, the first important city w^hich you w^ill reach 
is Monterrey, the leading industrial center of Northern 
Mexico, w^ith a population of some 1 00,000 people. 
Like all Mexican towns, it is replete w^ith historical 
interest, and the old Bishop's palace bears on its sides 
today the scars of that September conflict, in 1 846, w^hen 
it w^as a storm center of that historic battle of Monterrey, 
during the w^ar between Mexico and the United States. 
Looking from the train's window^, you w^ill see in the 
distance a mountain shaped like a Mexican saddle. 
This is the celebrated "Saddle Mountain" of Monterrey. 
The Topo Chico Hot Springs are located near this 
city, and are famous for their thermal baths. 

A branch line runs from Monterrey to Matamoros, 
at the mouth of the Rio Grande, and just opposite 

Brow^nsville, Texas. When 

the bridge connecting 

these tw^o cities is built 

it w^ill open another 

gatew^ay into the 

republic. 

Leaving Mon- 
terrey, a little far- 
ther south you w^ill 
come to Saltillo, a 
city of some 30,000 
inhabitants, and 




capital of the State of Coahuila, which at one time 
included all the territory of the State of Texas. A pretty 
love romance connects itself with Saltillo, as it w^as here 
that Andres Quintana Roo, an ardent patriot, rescued his 
sweetheart, Leona Vicaria, from the prison w^here she 
w^as confined under death sentence for her sympathy 
for the cause of free Mexico — a tale that is very pretty 
in its romantic and historical setting. There is much 
in Saltillo to attract the tourist, and its climate, both 
summer and w^inter, is ideal. Here, too, may be found 
the finest zarapes (Indian blankets) in Mexico, a 
genuine old Saltillo zarape being w^orth as much as 
four hundred pesos. Overlooking the city stands the 
old fort, built in 1847 by General Taylor, another 
memento of the Mexican War. 

When you have gone some 383 miles south of the 
border, you cross the Tropic of Cancer, the boundary 
being indicated by a monument, one side of vs^hich 
reads, "Zona Templada," or Temperate Zone, and the 
other side, "Zona Torrida," or Torrid Zone. Your 
invasion of the Torrid Zone, how^ever, vv^ill bring no 
discomfort from heat, as the elevation at the dividing 
line is over six thousand feet. 

San Luis Potosi, 
a city of some 
70,000 inhabitants, 
is the first impor- 
tant stop after cross- 
ing the Tropic of 
Cancer. It is one 
of the most attract- 
ive cities of Old 
Mexico. Its market 
place and bazars 
prove of never- 





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Queretaro, Where the Emperor Maximilian Was Executed 


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failing interest, reminding you of the quaintness of 
Constantinople. The Alameda, adorned with the statue 
of Hidalgo, is beautifully laid out. Its cathedral, which 
faces the main plaza, is one of the handsomest in 
Mexico. It w^as in San Luis Potosi that Juarez, the 
Lincoln of Mexico, received the Princess Salm-Salm, 
who had ridden wildly 1 20 miles across country to 
plead for the life of the unfortunate Maximilian, a 
prayer which Juarez, placing the safety and independ- 
ence of his country above the dictates of his heart, 
could not grant. Truly, a visit to San Luis Potosi is 
well w^orth your w^hile. 

From San Luis Potosi a line runs to Tampico, and 
if you are an angler, then for you this is the trip of 
trips, for at Tampico is found the celebrated tarpon, 
a game fish which attracts hither sportsmen from all 
parts of the w^orld. If you are not an angler, never- 
theless make the trip, as the daylight ride from San 
Luis Potosi to Tampico, through the Tamasopo Canon 
is one of the most picturesque trips in the republic. 
In fact, there are few^ trips in the w^orld that can equal 
it for beauty. At the head of the canon a little river 
jumps off in a pretty cascade, 
tumbles over the rocks, foams 
and frets over the great boul- 
ders for some hun- 
dreds of feet, then 
dives into the 
ground and is seen 
no more for several 
miles. In the rainy 
season there is such 
a volume of w^ater 
that it cannot pass 
through the under- 

Thc C'hrisimas Booths, Mi\u n cit\ 





Toluca — Monument to Hiilalgo, 

Katlier of Mexican Independence 



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ground passage, but runs over what is now the dry 
bed of the canon. 

The canon w^idens and the view grow^s grandly. 
Here and there the track is held by great w^alls of 
stone, and coming to some jutting .crag too sharp, too 
abrupt to build around, a tunnel is cut through. In 
one place there are three w^ithin a few^ feet of each 
other, so that a train of ten cars w^ould be in three 
tunnels at one time. Passing from the darkness of 
one of these tunnels into the broad light of brightest 
day, the marvelous view^ bursts upon the vision v/ith no 
w^arning of its stupendous immensity. Perpendicularly 
down, more than a thousand feet, is the density of 
tropical green that is shaded lighter up the mountain 
side, and in a thousand hues, as the sunlight falls upon 
them at this angle or that. Over on the other moun- 
tain the bright spots of lighter green are patches of 
sugar-cane, and here, below^ your track, is the delicate pink 
of the rosewood tree ; each tree seems as one huge 
posy, so thick the blossoms are. Far aw^ay over the 
other mountains, far away over the other valleys, the 
panorama, it seems, stretches to infinity, and w^hile v^^e 
hear the rushing of the waters, 
so far below^, w^e think we 
can see the waters of an 
aerial river, or the dis- 
tant seas w^here earth 
and air are lost in their 
intermingling. 

If ever Joseph's 
brethren had led him 
down into this pit of 
St. Joseph — this Hoyo 
de San Jose in the 
Tamasopo Canon — 
he w^ould never have 

Quaint Pottery That Cliarms the Kye 




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gotten out to distinguish himself either in Egypt or any- 
where else. It is said to be bottomless. It is in evidence 
that various and sundry burros, whose misfortunes forced 
them over the brink, never returned, and that place 
whence no burro returns has no stopping place of 
even the narrowest proportions, and where a burro 
cannot climb must partake of the perpendicular, or of 
a polished surface. Indeed, this Hoyo de San Jose is 
a wonderful hole-in-the-ground, where rivers of water 
empty their torrents in the rainy season. There is no 
oudet, and the pit does not fill up, then is it not 
bottomless, quien sabe? The railroad must describe 
a figure 8 to get around the pit, and just west of it 
is established a little station and another safety switch 
that is always set for the right track. 

Here now are the full tropics, as you have dreamed 
of them — great giant trees, with hanging vines from 
the highest branches. These and the trees are covered 
with orchids that flourish in the moisture of the mists 
from the sea. This almost impenetrable forest is a 
dense mass of verdure, from the topmost branches 
to the ferns that grow in their shade. 

But neither from words nor from pictures do you 
gather an adequate idea of this trip which must be 

included in your itinerary of 
a country that abounds in 
such richness of scenery. 
Still going southward 
from San Luis Potosi, 
you w^ill pass Dolores 
Hidalgo, the birth- 
place of Mexican in- 
dependence. From a 
nearby church at 
Atotonilco, Father 
Hidalgo took the ban- 
ner bearing the pic- 

At the Crater's Brink — Popocatcptl 




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Tlie Hall of Mosaics, 

Ruins of Mitla 


Tlie Ruii 


sof Mithi 

Near Oaxaci 










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Popocatepetl, tlie Highest Volcano in tlie World. 

as seen from the \'illage of Aniecame<;a 

111 



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9 




ture of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which became the stand- 
ard of Mexican independence, and which today occupies 
a place in the National Museum of Mexico City. The 
bell of the little church, w^hich called the patriots to 
arms, is the liberty bell of Mexico, and w^as transported 
to the National Palace of Mexico City, w^here it is rung 
every 1 5th of September by the President of the 
republic. 

At Gonzalez Junction you will find tw^o roads leading 
to Mexico, the main line continuing via Queretaro; the 
other line going via Acambaro and Toluca, w^ith a 
branch running from Acambaro to Morelia, Patzcuaro 
and Uruapan. 

Should you follow the main line, your next interest- 
ing stopping place w^ill be Queretaro, a city of some 
45,000 inhabitants, the home of the opal, where the 
last tragic act of Maximilian's bid for a throne took 
place. Here the ill-fated emperor surrendered his 
sword to the republican officials and ended forever 
his dream of an empire. Here occurred his court- 
martial and his imprisonment, and here, on the little 
Cerro de las Campanas (Hill of the Bells), may be seen 

the three marble slabs mark- 
ig the place where Maxi- 
milian, together w^ith his 
two faithful generals, 
Miramon and Mejia, 
were executed. 

From Queretaro 
into the City of 
Mexico the scen- 
ery is beautiful 
and the country 
rich with legend- 
ary lore and his- 

The Oldest Railway Station in the World. Cuautla 



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The Garden of Palms, 

Cuautla 



Tlie Iiidcpeiklenc't' Mumiment. 

Puebla 



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toric interest. The suburbs of Mexico City, through 
which your train will pass, were famous in the day 
of the ancient Aztec rulers, and at Tacuba, on the 
outskirts of the city, still stands a great tree, under 
which Cortez wept the night of his defeat by the 
Aztecs in the year I 520. In history it is recorded as 
"El Arbol de la Noche Triste," or the tree of the dismal 
night. 

Your journey will come to an end at "Colonia' 
station, in front of which is a small park or alameda, 
opening onto the principal boulevard of Mexico City, 
the celebrated " Paseo de la Reforma." Carriages both 
of the red and of the blue flag will await to carry you to 
your hotel or place of residence. A carriage bearing 
the red flag costs 38 cents, Mexican currency, for each 
half hour. Carriages with the blue flag will cost you 50 
cents, Mexican currency, for each half hour. The charge 
is the same, whether one or four passengers occupy the 
carriage. On Sundays and holidays the rates are slightly 
advanced. Each driver carries a card showing the tariff 
and the days on which he is permitted to charge an 
increase. A half hour is more than sufficient time 
to transport you from the depot to any of the hotels. 
You will stay in Mexico City as long as your time 

permits, w^andering through 
its quaint streets, prow^l- 
ing through its pawn- 
shops and bazars, 
and visiting the 
innumerable points 
of interest that 
abound on every 
side. But no mat- 
ter how long you 
may stay there will 
always be more to 
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A View of Vera Cruz from the Island of Sati Juan de Ulua 




Th( Eternal Snow of Mount Orizaba, 

ai hi-.-n from a Banana Plantation in Jalapa 




Tlie Land of the Cocoanut Palm, San Juan de Ulua, the Prison Island, 

V^ra Cruz in Vera Cruz Harbor 



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cosmopolitan in the largest sense of the word, where 
English, French, American, German, Spanish, Swiss, 
Belgian and Italian colonies mix their fetes and cus- 
toms with the Mexican ways. 

Bullfights in the "Plcizas de Toros"; pelota, the 
Spanish ball game, at the Fronton; polo, football, base- 
ball, tennis, cricket and golf at its various country clubs; 
fox-hunts and cross-country runs; with opera, tragedy, 
comedy and vaudeville at the various theaters in 
French, Spanish and Italian. Its "Paseo de la Reforma," 
leading from the center of the city to the castle 
grounds of Chapultepec, is one of the w^orld-famous 
boulevards and presents an array of carriages, auto- 
mobiles, dresses and jewels that is superb. 

Among the points of interest in the city w^hich you 

w^ill w^ish to see are the cathedral, the historical church 

of San Hipolito, Chapultepec Castle, the government 

paw^nshop, the thieves' market, the national museum 

and art gallery, the postoffice, which is a replica of 

a famous Venetian palace, the flower mart, the shrine 

of Guadalaupe, the Alameda, where on Thursday and 

Sunday mornings the best bands of the republic give 

concerts, its various beautiful suburbs, and many other 

points of interest. You will find all 

of these w^ell described in 

\ Campbell's Guide to Mexico. 

* And here let us add 

that many tourists have 
a foolish idea that 
sightseeing in Mexi- 
co is attended w^ith 
some danger. Ban- 
ish the thought "at 
once," for the entire 
republic is well policed 
with rurales (rural guards) 




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On the Way to Quaint Morelia 




The Presidential CJuards 
cm Parade 



A Day's Outiiip oi 



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Tacubaya, a Suburb of Mexico Cit\ 



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and gendarmes (policemen), and the principal cities are 
better lighted and freer from slums than are the cities 
of the United States. In fact, a lady traveling alone 
receives more courteous treatment in Mexico than in 
any other country. 

The side trips from Mexico City are numerous, but 
pre-eminently stands out the trip to Cuernavaca. Space 
in this publication does not permit us to fully describe 
the grandeur of this trip, so a special booklet has been 
prepared covering this journey. 

For a " one-day " outing from Mexico City there is 
Amecameca, with its Sacro Monte (Sacred Mountain) ; 
Popo Park, a charming village at the foot of the mighty 
volcano Popocatepetl, and Toluca, perched high in its 
mountain home, to reach which you must cross the 
great continental divide. This trip to Toluca without 
a doubt is one of the prettiest mountain trips in the 
republic. 

To reach the fringe of the tropics you must make 
a two-day trip to Cuautla, one of the quaintest villages 
near the City of Mexico, beautiful with its wealth of 
flowers and royal palms, rich in its banana groves 
and cane fields, interesting historically, and very pic- 
turesque. The train stops in Cuautla before the oldest 

raiWay station in the 

w^orld — built in the 

seventeenth century. 

You wrill also cer- 

tainly start for 

Veracruz, stopping 

on the vs^ay at 

Puebla, the famous 

onyx mart, vv^here a 

visit w^ill be made to 

the pyramid of 








The Chapel of the Ruined Monastery, Tzint/iintzan, 

tlie home of the celebrated Titian, " The Entombment " 



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Cholula, the largest pyramid in the world ; also you will 
stop at Jalapa, w^ith its over-hanging eaves and quaint, 
crooked streets, w^here gardenias and camelias, w^hich 
cost seventy-five cents and a dollar each in New York, may 
be purchased for twenty or thirty cents Mexican money 
for the bunch ! You will marvel at the wonderful pano- 
rama of tropical scenery en route, at tree ferns that 
overtop the car and at the birds of beautiful plumage, 
until in the distance a sheet of blue may be seen. It 
is the Gulf of Mexico, and shortly you will reach Vera- 
cruz, the first landing place of Cortez, the " Rich City 
of the Holy True Cross." 

You will wander through its quaint shops, drink 
4:00 o'clock coffee under the portales and just at sunset 
go out for a ride on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, cir- 
cling that historic island of San Juan de Ulua. The sun 
will sink behind the snow-covered peak of Mount Oriza- 
ba, its last gleam lighting the feathery fronds of the palm 
trees and gilding a path across the deep blue waters 
to the dark horizon. Church spire and housetop will 
stand out in dark silhouette against the gold and orange 
of the tropical sky. This is sunset in Veracruz — a scene 
you will long remember. At Puebla connection is made 
writh the trains for Tehuacan and Oaxaca. A visit to 
Oaxacaand its celebrated ruins of Mitla and Monte Alban 
will be one of the trips you will not care to miss, and 

representatives of the 
National Railways of 
Mexico will furnish 
you with a special 
folder concerning 
this trip. 

The journey to 

Morelia, Patzcuaro 

and Uruapan is for 

you, if you care to 

leave the beaten 

track of the regular 




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111 



tourist and know more intimately the charm of the 
repubhc. 

In Moreha, where the noise of the world is hushed, 
where Father Time went to sleep, you will see the 
houses of Iturbide and Morelos, two prominent figures 
on the pages of Mexican history, while Patzcuaro, 
further westward, is principally noted for its beautiful 
lake and the quaint Indian village of Tzintzuntzan, that 
stands on the opposite shore. This village was origin- 
ally the seat of the ancient Tarascan monarchy and 
afterw^ards one of the principal seats of the Roman 
Catholic Church in Mexico. In the little chapel of 
the ruined monastery hangs a Titian of the "Entomb- 
ment," presented by Phillip II of Spain to the bishop 
of Tarasco, a painting for which an American million- 
aire offered $100,000, but the Mexican Government 
refused to take from the simple Indians the picture 
which they loved and venerated so highly. Ruins of 
the old Tarascan temples are found near Lake 
Patzcuaro, and on the islands that dot its surface. 

This branch of the road ends at Uruapan, the heart 
of the celebrated coffee country, in the midst of scenery 
w^ild and beautiful. 

The trip to Morelia and Patzcuaro would be hard 
to duplicate, unless you could take a bit each from 
Spain, the south of France, and sunny Italy, weaving 
them into an old, old pattern of sunshine and flowers 
as a background for the quaint old houses and 
beautiful natural scenery. 

If you enter the Republic of Mexico through the 
Eagle Pass-Ciudad Porfirio Diaz gateway, inspection 
of your baggage will take place at Ciudad Porfirio 
Diaz, or, as it is commonly called, C. P. Diaz. The 
following morning you will reach Torreon, a city of 
the new Mexico, not of the old; an important railroad 
center with electric cars, cotton mills, foundries, 
factories, breweries, ice plants and all the improvements 



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of modern progress. Its population is about 20,000 
people. From Torreon a branch line runs west to 
Tepehuanes, and on this branch the most important 
town is Durango. 

Durango has been called the Iron City of Mexico, 
for w^ithin the corporate limits of the city there is iron 
enough to supply the world for some three hundred 
years. In fact, there is a mountain of almost solid 
iron, the ore averaging 75 to 90 per cent pure metal. 
The plaza and portales of Durango are very pictur- 
esque, and the state house is considered one of the 
finest in Mexico. Surrounding the city are many 
beautiful gardens, and the markets and bazars, like in 
all the old cities of Mexico, are interesting. 

Continuing on the main line southward from 
Torreon, the next important point w^hich you w^ill 
reach is Zacatecas, one of the greatest mining cities in 
the w^orld. If you do not stop here for a visit, then go to 
the rear platform or to the left of the car and view^ the 
panorama of the city as the train v/inds around and 
above it. Its flat-roofed houses, w^hich in the distance 
look like children's blocks, w^ill recall vividly to your 
mind Egypt and the i Holy Land. On the broad high- 
city you w^ill pass a continuous 
stream of the picturesque na- 
tives, droves of donkeys with 
their enormous burdens, ox- 
itMji^HV^ ^^^^^Bgmi carts w^ith their enormous 
I^^^^H .^^^^^Pv wooden w^heels, and the 

mingling of colors as is seen 
now^here else in the w^orld. 
As Zacatecas is left behind, 
the train nears Aguascalientes. 
You w^ill know^ Aguas- 
calientes by the small 
army of draw^n-w^ork 



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venders which soon surrounds the Pullman. Here you 
may purchase scarfs, shirt waists, handkerchiefs, doilies 
and table covers, in silk, linen or cotton, each piece show- 
ing the marvelous patience w^ith w^hich the native makes 
this drawn-work. The name of the city means " Hot 
Waters," and the springs from w^hich the name is derived 
are about a mile from the station. Its churches and 
plazas are very pretty, and a stop here w^ill be interest- 
ing for you. 

At Silao a branch line runs to Guanajuato, described 
so well in the little booklet written by Mrs. P. M. Meyers, 
called "A City of Dreams — Guanajuato." It has many 
fine churches and public buildings. It also has a cata- 
comb of mummies, a replica of the catacombs of the Old 
World. But perhaps a few^ quotations from the booklet 
mentioned above vv^ill give you an idea of this place : 
" Of course, there is much of Spain about it, and 
somewhat of Italy, too, but it resembles a Syrian city 
more than any other, and world-wide travelers say that 
certain parts of Guanajuato might be almost reproduc- 
tions of Bethlehem, while others might be Jerusalem 
itself. The houses are of mud bricks, many of them 
not even plastered over, and the v/ashing of many 
rains has given them a look of 
crumbling age which might carry 
them back to the time when 
the bright shining of a star 
guided wise men to a Bethle- 
hem manger. There is a 
distinct flavor of the Orient 
about it all, and if camels 
and turbaned riders 
should come into the 
picture it w^ould not 
seem over-strange. 
As in the Far East, the 




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flat roofs serve far beyond shelter ; they are the yard, 
the veranda, the balcony, the mirador, the place of retreat 
and the meeting place of friends. Its winding little 
thoroughfares can hardly be called streets, except in the 
business parts ; they are mostly narroAV paths, and in a 
few places it is possible even to reach across and touch 
the opposite w^all. These little streets meander aimlessly 
up the mountains, playing hide and seek w^ith one another 
and giving at every turn the most exquisite bits for the 
brush of an artist. There is no such thing as walking 
on a level in Guanajuato. It is up or down, usually in 
a most decided manner, and crossing from one street to 
another is often by a stairway of cobble stones. The 
houses cling to the rocks and overhang the ledges, and 
the zigzagging little by-ways lead from one delight to 
another. 

"Tucked away in the little street and corners are 
the stands of all sorts of venders — fruits, vegetables, 
zarapes, pottery, baskets, w^ith junk shops and the 
"Thieves' Market," all so mingled together that it is not 
easy to say w^here one begins or the other leaves off. 
"Our hotel faced on v/hat seemed to be an alley, 
but wras really one of the w^idest streets. It promised 
at the corner of the block some eighteen feet in w^idth, 
but narrow^ed dow^n to nine, w^idened again to about 
sixteen, and compassed at least three distinct juts and 

bulges before it finally w^ent 
quavering to the entrance, 
a hundred feet aw^ay. 
The hotel itself has 
many architectural 
puzzles and w^onders, 
and where the rooms 
are stored away, and 
how to find them, are 
problems each guest 
must solve for him- 
self. It -was several 
days before I could 




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understand how, having climbed but one flight of stone 
steps, my own httle balcony overlooked an almost dizzy 
height above the street. But having learned the way in, 
and practiced a little on getting out, the traveler is well 
content with its many comforts, especially when one 
realizes that in passing in or out the way is under an old 
arch with an ancient inscription showing that the build- 
ing was blessed and dedicated for use in 1557. 

"Across the street, on the steps of the Teatro Juarez, 
were a lot of natives, seemingly the same ones v/ho 
sat there years ago, their rainbow-hued zarapes, blue 
reboses and big sombreros making a bright picture, 
and mingling a touch of the Old World with the new- 
ness of this splendidly modern building. This theater 
is one of the most beautiful in the world, and there 
are those who say it is the most beautiful. Although 
ground room in Guanajuato is so precious, this building 
stands on a lot by itself, one of the most valuable in 
the city, facing on the plaza, and its handsome entrance 
and massive stone steps are the first objects to attract 
the eye of the stranger. Its rows of columns across 
the front are Corinthian, but those in the interior are 
Aztec, while the decorations are Moorish. The dra- 
peries are soft and rich, and everything about the 
structure, inside and out, has an air of grace which we 
Americans might do well to envy and imitate. The 
theater was completed and unused for five years, waiting 
for President Diaz to open it. This was accomplished 
a few years ago, and the president bound himself by 
one more tie to the loyal people of this old camp." 
At Irapuato the road branches, the main line 
continuing onward to Mexico City, while the 
other division runs 
w^estw^ard and south 
to the Pacific Ocean, 
terminating at the 
port of Manzanillo. 
At no matter w^hat 
time of the year you 




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Parral. a Rich Mining Tew n of 

Northwestern Mexico 



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reach Irapuato, you are sure to hear the cry, "Fresas! 
Fresas!" (strawberries! strawberries!) on your arrival, 
for the straw^berries at Irapuato are famous all over 
Mexico for their luscious sweetness. 

Still further south and you come to Qyeretaro — the 
same Queretaro w^hich w^e have described on page 1 8 
of this book — and from there on into Mexico City, 
arriving this time at the Buenavista Station. 

Should, how^ever. El Paso be the gatew^ay through 
w^hich you enter the Republic of Mexico, your bag- 
gage w^ill pass through the customs at Ciudad Juarez, 
and the first important stop w^ill be Chihuahua. The 
city of Chihuahua is the capital of the state of the 
same name and has a population of approximately 
40,000 people. The name Chihuahua means "a place 
where things are made," and from the number of enter- 
prises w^hich the city supports, you vv^ill see that the name 
is well merited. The state of w^hich it is the capital is 
one of the richest mining sections of the entire w^orld. 
The city is clean ; the homes and public buildings are 
w^ell built, and the modern business spirit prevails. It is 
also the center of a large cattle and lumber industry 
and destined to be one of the foremost business 

centers of Mexico. 

Tw^o hundred and 
ninety -three miles 
south of Chihuahua 
you reach Torreon, 
and from that point 
southw^ard the trip 
is the same as de- 
scribed on preced- 
ing pages. 
1^^ ^ W The branch run- 

ning w^estw^ard from 
^f^ ' ' " "' ".-^" Irapuato passes 

I he " I,.iil\ of the Lake " — Chapali 




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The Hotel" Ribera Castellanos," 

Ocotlaii, Lake Chapala 



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around Lake Chapala, through Guadalajara and CoHma, 
and terminates at Manzanillo. The section of country 
between Guadalajara and Manzanillo has but recently 
been opened to the traveling public, and is little 
known to the tourist. For this reason, a special 
booklet has been prepared, giving in detail the de- 
scription of Lake Chapala, Guadalajara, Colima, with 
its celebrated living volcano, and Manzanillo, as the 
scenery and points of interest on this branch require 
a special publication. 

In this little sketch v/e can no more than name for 
you the points of interest in Mexico, for each one 
would require a booklet larger than this to give in 
detail its charms, but wherever you go, the country, 
the people, their dress, their mode of transportation, is 
all new, strange and delightful. It is something that 
you do not see in your native land, no matter where 
you travel; it is different from the every- day life that 
continually surrounds you, and in this difference lies 
the chief advantage of a trip to Mexico — that foreign 
country next door. 

If this little booklet has interested you in Mexico, 
and you are contemplating a trip to any part of this 
wonderful republic, the representatives of the National 
Railways of Mexico will be glad to place themselves 

at your disposal, plan 
your trip, furnish you 
w^ith itineraries, rates, 
names of hotels, etc., 
and accommodate 
you in every vv^ay 
possible, for it is our 
desire that your trip 
to Mexico be thor- 
oughly enjoyable 
from its start to its 
end. 

A Public Laundry 





Booklets giving in detail the trips from Mexico 
City to Cuernavaca, Mexico City to Puebla, Jalapa and 
Veracruz, Mexico City to Lake Chapala, Guadedajara, 
Colima and Manzanillo, and the trip to Oaxaca and 
the Ruins of Mitla, will be sent to you free of charge 
by addressing any representative of the National Rail- 
ways of Mexico, as show^n on page 48. 

In addition to these publications, the Industrial De- 
partment of the National Railv/ays has issued " Facts 
and Figures," a booklet dealing with the great resources 
and commercial possibilities of this republic. If you 
are interested in Mexico from a commercial stand- 
point, ask for this book. 

For a know^ledge of the history of Mexico, read 
Noll's "A Short History of Mexico," or Prescott's "Con- 
quest of Mexico " ; or, in a lighter vein, read "A White 
Umbrella in Mexico," by F. Hopkinson Smith, Rider 
Haggard's "Montezuma's Daughter, " Lew Wallace's 
"The Fair God," and Flandrau's "Viva Mexico." 

For a guide of the various cities and points of 
interest in the republic, there is " Reau Campbell's 
Guide to Mexico." 

For your enjoyment, there are the ever-changing pic- 
tures of country and people, both smiling to greet you. 

The knowledge of the Spanish language is by no 
means necessary for a trip throughout the Republic of 
Mexico, as in all of the places mentioned in this book 
w^ill be found English-speaking clerks in the hotels, 
restaurants and stores. We give below, however, a 
few of the common expressions in English and Spanish 
with the written pronunciation of the Spanish. It is 
impossible, of course, to give the "exact" written pro- 
nunciation of the Spanish-spoken w^ord. 

In this v/ritten pronunciation "a " should be given 
the broad sound, as in "ale"; "e" as in "meet "; "i" as 
in "mite"; "o" as in "old"; "u" has the sound of 
double o in "loot"; "ch" as in "chant"; "ah" as the 
English "Ah!"; "s" as in "hiss," not as in "his." 




-» 



How to Say It in Spanish 



111 



COACH SERVICE 

ENGLISH SPANISH PRONUNCIATION 

Coachman Cochero Ko-cha'-ro 

I wish a coach Quiero un coche ...Ke-a'-ro un ko-cha 

Go to the hotel ...Vamos al hotel Vah'-mos al o-tel' 

Stop! Pare Pah'-ra 

Wait! Esperese Es-pa'-ra-sa 

Go on Vamonos Vah'-mo-nos 

To the right A la derecha Ah lah da-ra'-cha 

To the left A la izquierda Ah la es-ke-air'-dah 

IN THE RESTAURANT 

The bill of fare ...La lista Lah le'-sta 

A plate Un plato Un plah'- to 

A glass Un vaso Un vah'-so 

A teaspoon Una cucharita U'-na cu-cha-re'-tah 

Coffee Cafe Kah-fa' 

Coffee and milk... Cafe con leche Kah-fa' con la'-cha 

Tea Te Ta 

Milk Leche La'-cha 

Cream Crema Kra'-mah 

Sugar Azucar Ah-su'-kar 

Chocolate Chocolate Cho-ko-lah'-ta 

Lemonade Limonada Le-mo-nah'-dah 

Beer Cerveza Ser-va'-sah 

Wine Vino Ve'-no 

Claret Vino Tinto Ve'-no teen'-to 

Ice Hielo e-a'-lo 

Bread Pan Pahn 

Butter Mantequilla Man-ta-ke'-yah 

Water Agua Ah'-gwah 

Soup Sopa So'-pah 

Fish Pescado Pes-cah'-do 

Rice Arroz Ar-ros' 

Fried eggs Huevos fritos Wa'-vos fre'-tos 

Hard-boiled eggs.. Huevos duros Wa'-vos du'-ros 

Soft-boiled eggs ...Huevos pasados Wa'-vos pah-sah' 

por agua [dos por ah'-gwah 



How to Say It in Sp anis h 



Omelet 

Beefsteak 

Rare 

Well done ... 

Mutton 

Chops 

Cutlet 

Lamb 

Bacon 

Ham 

Pepper 

Salt 

Oil 

Mustard 

Potatoes 

Fried potatoes 

Beans 

Peas 

Lettuce 

Tomatoes 

Cauliflower... 

Chicken 

Turkey 

Ice cream 

Cheese 

Strawberries . . 

Grapes 

Oranges 

Bananas 

Lemon 

Figs 

Fork 

Knife 

x\nother 



Tortilla de huevos...Tor-te'-ya da wa'-vos 

Beefstek As in English 

Poco asado Po'-ko ah-sah'-do 

Bien asado Be-n' ah-sah'-do 

Carnero • Kahr-na'-ro 

Costillas Kos-te'-yahs 

Chuleta Choo-lay'-tah 

Cordero Kor-da'-ro 

Tocino To-se'-no 

Jamon Ha-mohn' 

Pimienta Pe-me-n'-tah 

Sal Sahl 

Aceite Ah-sa'-e-ta 

Mostaza Mos-tah'-sah 

Papas Pah'-pahs 

Papas fritas Pah'-pahs fre'-tahs 

Frijoles Fre-ho'-las 

Chi'charos Che'-cha-ros 

Lechuga La-chu'-gah 

Tomates To-mah'-tas 

, Coliflor Ko-le-flor' 

Polio Po'-yo 

Pavo Pah'-vo 

Helado A-lah'-do 

Queso Kay '-so 

Fresas Fray'-sahs 

Uvas U'-vas 

Naranjas , Nah-rahng'-hahs 

Platanos Plah'-tah-nos 

Limon Le-mon' 

. Higos E'-gohs 

Tenedor Ta-na-dor' 

Cuchillo Ku-che'-yo 

Otro O'-tro 



Cj 



How to Say It in Spanish 



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One cent .... 
Two cents .. 
Three cents . 
Four cents .. 
Five cents..., 
Ten cents.... 

Fifteen 

Twenty 

Twenty-five . 

Thirty 

Forty 

Fifty 

Sixty 

Seventy 

Eighty 

Ninety 

One dollar ., 
How much ^ . 



NUMBERS 

.un centavo un sen-tah'-vo 

.dos centavos dohs sen-tah'-vos 

.tres centavos tras sen-tah'-vos 

.cuatro centavos kwah'-tro sen-tah'-vos 

.cinco centavos seen'-ko sen-tah'-vos 

. diez centavos de'-es sen-tah'-vos 

.quince centavos keen-ceh sen-tah'-vos 

.veinte vay'-inteh sentah'- vos 

.veinte y cinco vay'-inteh sin-ko 

.treinta tray'-intah 

.cuarenta kwar-en'-tah 

.cincuenta seen-kwen'-tah 

.sesenta sa-sen'-tah 

.setenta sa-ten'-tah 

.ochenta o-chen'-tah 

. noventa no-ven-tah 

• Un peso un peh-soh 

.Cuanto kwahn'-to 



MISCELLANEOUS 

Baggage Equipage Ay-ke-pah'-hay 

Railroad Ferrocarril Fer-ro car- reel' 

Station Estacion Es-tah-the-on' 

Steamer Vapor Vah-pore' 

Wharf Muelle Mu-el-lyay 

Where is.'' Donde estA? Don'-day ays-tah' 

The office La oficina Lah o-fe-thee'-nah 

The dining-room.. El comedor El co-may-dor' 

The bathroom El cuarto de baiio...El coo-ar'-to day 

bah'-nyo). 

Toilet El retrete El ray-tray'-tay 

Good morning Buenos dias Boo-ay-nos dee-ahs 

Good night Buenas noches Boo-ay '-nahs no-chays 

Good-bye Adios A-de-os' 

Thank you Gracias Grah'-the-ahs 

What is that.'' Que es eso? Kay es ay'-so 




NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF MEXICO 

MEXICAN INTERNATIONAL RAILROAD 
INTEROCEANIC RAILWAY OF MEXICO 

SLEEPING CAR RATES AND ROUTES 

Holders of all-year-round (nine months) tourist tickets 
may obtain the privilege of entering the Republic of 
Mexico via one gatew^ay and leaving via a different 
one, on payment of $5.50 (United States currency) extra, 
at the time of purchasing the ticket. 

Through Pullman sleeping cars are operated daily 
between St. Louis and Mexico City, via San Antonio and 
Laredo ; between El Paso and Mexico City ; betw^een 
Spofford Junction (Eagle Pass) and Torreon, and 
Torreon and Mexico City. 

Also, Pullman sleeping cars are operated betw^een 
all the principal cities in the Republic of Mexico. 

Rates in Pullman sleeping cars for double berth to 
Mexico City are as follows: From New York, $18.61; 
Washington, $17. II; Pittsburg, $16.61; Chicago, $14.1 1; 
St. Louis, $13. II; Kansas City, $12.1 1; Memphis, $1 1.61; 
New Orleans, $10.61; Denver, $13.11; Salt Lake City, 
$17.61; Colorado Springs and Pueblo, $13.11 (United 
States currency). 

These rates are published as information only, and 
are subject to change v/ithout notice. 

STOP-OVER PRIVILEGES 

Liberal stop-over privileges are allow^ed on all 
one-w^ay and round-trip tickets, within the Republic of 
Mexico, affording an opportunity to visit the points of 
interest en route. 



I'lT^" 



jq^'iT^^^^Vj^ 



NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF MEXICO 

MEXICAN INTERNATIONAL RAILROAD 
INTEROCEANIC RAILWAY OF MEXICO 

REPRESENTATIVES 

IN THE UNITED STATES 

CHICAGO — Gabe Filleul, Western Passenger Agent, 
Frank L. Moe, Western Freight Agent, 1 400 Ameri- 
can Trust Building. 

EL PASO — A. Dulohery, City Passenger Agent, Postal 
Cable Building. 

LAREDO — C M. Fish, Commercial Agent. 

NEW YORK— W. C. Carson, General Eastern Agent, 
25 Broad Street. 

ST. LOUIS — W. H. Richardson, Commercial Agent, 
616 Frisco Building. 

SAN ANTONIO — E. Muenzenberger, General Agent, 
224 E. Houston Street. 

SAN FRANCISCO — H. J. Snyder, General Agent, I 5 
Flood Building. 

IN EUROPE 

LONDON, E. C. — E. J. Bray, General European Agent, 
Dashwood House, 9 New Broad Street. 



IN MEXICO 



J. c. McDonald. 

General Passenger Agent, 



W. F. PATON, 

Ass't General Passenger Agent, 



MEXICO CITY, D. F. 



National Railu}ays 

Mexico 



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